This invention relates to a wall construction for an architectural structure, and more particularly, to a wall construction which is adapted to be used as an outer wall, a roof and the like in an architectural structure such as a building, a house, a gymnasium or the like.
A conventional wall construction such as an outer wall and a roof in a building, a house or the like comprises base members, elongated supporting members mounted on the base members so as to be spaced from one another at predetermined intervals in the lateral direction, sheathing boards securely laid through the supporting members on the base members, waterproof sheet members disposed to cover over the sheathing boards and face members mounted on the sheet members. Such conventional wall construction has a disadvantage that it is substantially impossible to accomplish good sound insulation because beating of raindrops and outdoor noise directly reach the interior of the building. The conventional wall construction also is not adapted to allow good heat insulation to be accomplished.
In a house, interior electrical wiring is often stretched around places in sight, such as the under surface of the ceiling and places out of sight such as base members of a wall construction by means of insulators. Therefore, the interior wiring is not effectively protected at a fire so as to significantly extend the time of electrical current conduction through the wiring, and thereby facilitate rescue operations.
In the conventional wall construction, supporting members or common rafters are generally fixed on base members or purlins by a screw or bolt means or metal band means. However, the fixing method by screw or bolt means causes the head portion of the screw or bolt to contact with or deform a face member, resulting in the face member being damaged. Such disadvantage is increased when the face member is formed of a metal plate such as aluminum. A similar disadvantage is encountered when fixing with metal strip means.
In addition, in the conventional wall construction, face members disposed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are connected to each other through pawls formed on supporting members by raising a part of the supporting members. However, such a connecting method has a disadvantage in that, when a violent wind blows into the connecting portion, the face members are turned up to cause the connecting portion to be easily disengaged. In addition, in such connecting, the pawl has exposed surfaces and sharp cut edges, resulting in the supporting member and face member being subjected to corrosion and damage, respectively. Also, such a connecting method has a further disadvantage that rainwater enters the interior of the wall construction because the adjacent face members contact each other at the connecting region, formed with a gap sufficient to produce a capillary action.
Furthermore, the prior art wall construction is constructed in such a manner that face members disposed adjacent to each other in the lateral direction are connected to each other by merely inserting the end portions of the face members into connecting means. Therefore, such a connecting method is not adapted to efficiently prevent rainwater from entering the interior of the wall construction. The connecting means comprises a connecting member and a holding member fitted on the connecting member. However, the manufacture of the holding member is highly costly because it requires a complicated bending process.